A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down.

I've always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up.

My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once in a while to see if it can still do what it used to do. It can't.

In a sense, I revolutionized the operatic scene because I proved you can make a great international career without the Metropolitan. I'm the only singer who's done that, and I'm proud of that, so it's all worked out for the best.

My venture investing career has three phases, all roughly 6-8 years long. The first, at Euclid, was software to Internet. The second, at Flatiron, was Internet to bubble. And the third, at USV, has been web 2 to mobile. I have always used a new firm to denote a new investment phase for me. Throw away the old. Start with the new.

Mentors and sponsors, particularly in the early stages of my career, were invaluable to me because they encouraged me to raise my hand and take opportunities to build my capabilities.

It's a funny thing having a recording be part of your career. It means you can go back and revisit yourself, in a way most people don't.

When I did the film 'Hear My Voice' a few years ago, I disappeared fully up my own backside for a while. Because I thought my career was taking off, I became a bit of an egomaniac and a pain in the neck. I thought I was God's gift to mankind and the greatest Irishman since George Best.